Final 5 matchups

[01grad]

As much as I dislike the gophers, I want to see them at the final five.

I want to see good matchups and exciting games, so these are my choices...

Sioux, gophers, badgers, bulldogs and St. Cloud huskies.

I was just curious to see which team was everybodys second favorite to watch or match-up against.

Do you want cellar dwellers in there so it will possibly be an easy go or the best teams?

I can't wait

[Marty]

What better team to beat for the WCHA championship than your biggest rival? I hope I see the Sioux manhandle the Gophers in the final game.

[01grad]

Oh, I forgot to add PCM to the choices of who do you want to see there?

[PCM]

Oh, I forgot to add PCM to the choices of who do you want to see there. Sorry.

I would play five teams at the same time and win 12-0.

[siouxnami]

I think we own the Badgers a little something...

[dunker2001]

BADgers

[01grad]

[UMDDogz]

I would play five teams at the same time and win 12-0.

It would be tough to score with 5 goalies stacked in the net.

Hint: Shoot for the side where Briggs is standing!!

[CoteauRinkRat]

I would like to see the Badgers and a possible matchup where the Sioux could extract some revenge on them from the earlier series.

[jloos]

I'd like to see CC there - just because I'd like to see 7 WCHA teams in the NCAA's. The team I'd like to see us play the most, WI - for obvious reasons.

[01grad]

What would it take for CC to make the NCAA's? How high would they need to place at the final five? Which WCHA teams are going to be their regardless of how the final five pans out?

Sioux, Duluth, Wisconsin are locks right? There are no gurantees yet for Minnesota and Denver, correct? I haven't checked the pairwise yet but that is what they go by?

[MafiaMan]

I wouldn't mind some new blood at the tournament, but maybe I'm the only one who thinks it would be cool to see Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech make it. It's been ages for Tech and I don't think A-A has ever qualified. I wouldn't mind NOT seeing St Cloud there this season (still peeved about the 2001 title game) and it's pretty obvious Mankato won't be making a return trip this year. Give me CC, UMD, North Dakota, Denver, and Wisconsin and I'll be happy. The WCHA would kill me for saying this, but I think it would be interesting to see the attendance figures from a Minnesota-less Final Five held in St Paul.

[01grad]

Does anybody have a link to how the NCAA field is setup? Is it just the top 16 teams in the power rankings or 4x4 thing? I always thought that a team like Tech could make it if they won the final five, is this the case, or are they already out since they aren't even close to being on the rankings?

[Cratter]

Winner of the Final Five gets an auto bid.

[Ghost of Smith]

If I have to watch Tech at the final five it better not be because they beat the Sioux!! These playoff games involving the Sioux have been nightmares these past couple of years. Last years playoff game I am convinced took two years off my life. The Sioux seem to like to play three games oppossed to two.

[dagies]

I think the Final Five will be very interesting. From a fan standpoint I think the best environment would be if the current top 5 teams would make it as they are the closest teams with the best travelling fan bases. I guess that leaves Mankato out but too bad.

However, I believe Denver and CC both have the ability to knock off their first round playoff opponent on the road (assuming the conference finishes with SCSU and MN in 4th and 5th place). I think the top 3 leaders are relatively safe however you have to play the games.

That said, I think UND, UMD, WI, MN and either Denver or CC will be at the Final Five. And I think if Denver plays SCSU and CC plays MN it is possible that MN could get knocked off as I see CC as the more dangerous of the two Colorado teams right now. I think MN might take Denver at home.

[jloos]

Does anybody have a link to how the NCAA field is setup? Is it just the top 16 teams in the power rankings or 4x4 thing? I always thought that a team like Tech could make it if they won the final five, is this the case, or are they already out since they aren't even close to being on the rankings?

1 North Dakota .6198 2 24-6-3 .7727 1 .5689 1 .5896 8 .5274 0 0 1

2 Boston College .6106 1 26-4-4 .8235 5 .5397 10 .5424 1 .5341 1 1 0

3 Maine .5790 3 24-7-3 .7500 21 .5221 21 .5199 9 .5263 0 2 0

4 Minnesota-Duluth .5752 6 22-10-3 .6714 3 .5431 4 .5483 3 .5327 0 0 0

5 Michigan .5712 5 23-10-1 .6912 13 .5312 9 .5424 26 .5089 0 0 0

6 Minnesota .5618 15 20-13-3 .5972 2 .5500 2 .5601 5 .5298 1 0 1

7 Wisconsin .5564 7t 20-9-7 .6528 17 .5242 18 .5223 6 .5281 1 0 0

8 New Hampshire .5531 14 18-11-5 .6029 8 .5365 6 .5457 17 .5180 0 1 0

9 Ohio State .5502 17t 20-14-0 .5882 6 .5375 3 .5532 28 .5061 0 1 0

10 Denver .5452 7t 21-10-5 .6528 27 .5093 31 .4975 2 .5329 0 1 0

11 St. Cloud State .5435 17t 18-12-4 .5882 15 .5285 15 .5304 12 .5248 0 1 0

12 Notre Dame .5407 16 17-11-4 .5938 18 .5230 16 .5302 27 .5088 2 1 0

13 Miami .5395 11 19-11-4 .6176 25 .5134 26 .5133 23 .5136 0 0 0

14 Colorado College .5355 20t 18-13-3 .5735 19 .5228 19 .5221 14 .5243 0 0 0

15 Providence .5317 25 15-11-7 .5606 20 .5221 20 .5204 10 .5255 0 0 0

16 Massachusetts .5307 26 14-11-6 .5484 16 .5248 17 .5256 15 .5233 0 0 0

17 Michigan State .5304 22 20-15-1 .5694 22 .5173 24 .5181 18 .5158 0 0 1

18 Cornell .5252 10 15-8-6 .6207 36 .4933 37 .4916 36 .4966 0 2 0

19 Colgate .5213 9 19-10-5 .6324 41 .4843 42 .4788 38 .4954 0 0 0

20 Mass.-Lowell .5194 33 14-16-6 .4722 10 .5351 8 .5452 21 .5149 0 0 0

In theory the top 16 should make it. CHA, and ECAC don't have any teams in the top 16 so here top 14 would make it plus winners of CHA and ECAC playoffs. It looks like if CC avoids being swept at Denver and can have a strong showing in their playoff matchup they are in. A lot depends on what MSU, Prov and MA due the rest of the season. I'm surprised to see Notre Dame OH and Miami so high, looks the CCHA should have at least 4 teams.

As it stands WCHA 7 teams

Hockey East 3 teams

CCHA 4 teams

CHA 1 team

ECAC 1 team

I don't know if the NCAA has to abide by the formula like Football of if it like BB. I'm sure PCM or someone with a better understanding of the NCAA knows.

[sagard]

Currently UND, UMD, UM, UW are locks for the NCAA. All have strong RPI's that even it they lose four straight, they will be in the top 13.

SCSU and DU are locks if they make the Final Five, and could easily make the tourney without making St. Paul as SCSU did last year.

CC really has their backs against the wall. They are the bubble, but will have a very difficult time picking up comparisons. Currently their records in the "teams under consideration" and the "common opponents" categories are terrible. On the bright side, they appear to be playing very well. I think they will have to win two games at the X to qualify. If I were a Sioux fan, I'd root against them. If they do qualify they would likely be the first round opponent for the Sioux on their ice. Instead of Bemidji or some other cupcake.

[sprig]

I think they (CC) will have to win two games at the X to qualify.

That would mean first having to beat, what now appears to be, either MN or SCSU on the road to get to the X. SC they probably could get by, but I don't think they would eliminate MN at Marriucci. Then again, with the perms and all.....

[The Sicatoka]

Here's USCHO's current version of Bracketology. They update it Wednesday of each week.

The easiest way to explain it all:

The six league tournament champions get auto-bids.

The ten highest PWRs without an auto-bid get selected.

Beyond that, read the linked story.

[UMDDogz]

The six league tournament champions get auto-bids.

Doesn't the McNaughton winner also receive an auto-bid?? I seem to remember this rule being enacted after CC won the league and did not get into the NCAA's. If this is true...do other conferences have this rule as well? That would mean as many as 12 auto-bids, assuming all leagues have the same rule, and all have different regular season and tournament champions.

Clarification??

[jloos]

Here's USCHO's current version of Bracketology. They update it Wednesday of each week.

The easiest way to explain it all:

The six league tournament champions get auto-bids.

The ten highest PWRs without an auto-bid get selected.

Beyond that, read the linked story.

I forgot about the AHC. I thought they and the CHA switched auto-bids every other year. I have no idea why I thought that, after a little research I was wrong. Both the AHC and CHA get an autobid, that would bump CC out as it stands right now, assuming the autobids from HE, CCHA and the WCHA would get in anyway becuase of pwr.

[mksioux]

Doesn't the McNaughton winner also receive an auto-bid?? I seem to remember this rule being enacted after CC won the league and did not get into the NCAA's. If this is true...do other conferences have this rule as well? That would mean as many as 12 auto-bids, assuming all leagues have the same rule, and all have different regular season and tournament champions.

Clarification??

They repealed the CC rule to the extent that each league now gets just 1 auto-bid and each league gets to determine for itself whether it goes to their regular-season champ or playoff champ. I think all the leagues chose playoff champ.

[GBpakrzz]

I want Wisconsin. They swept us out of Mad-Town and I have been hearing it ever since. We owe roadkill a lump or two.

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

As it stands now, CC, PC, and UMass will be bumped in favor of the CHA (probably Bemidji State), ECAC (probably Cornell or Colgate), and AH (probably Holy Cross) auto-bids.

The pairwise mimics the system that the NCAA uses for selection, though it doesn't take into account bonus points added for quality wins. However it has yet to not predict the field correctly, minus, of course, the 2-3 autobids.